This week on the podcast, SWN’s Bianca Millroy joined by Dr Sue Wilson and Helen Carrington for our final conversation in this series – and on that note, if you’ve been a regular listener of Cognitive Conversations, thank you for coming along with us on this journey for ten whole episodes!

This episode focuses on the role of music as a therapeutic intervention, and perspectives on somatic symptoms and chronic or persistent pain from two experts in the field - and how they came to specialise in a field at the intersection of mind, brain and body.

Helen, a senior music therapist, takes us through the fundamentals of Music Therapy and how it’s used in clinical practice – from playing the drums, guitar or piano and singing to curating personalised playlists and even song writing.

Sue, a specialist psychiatrist, speaks to the interdisciplinary nature of paediatric and adolescent psychiatry, including aspects of medical practice that need to be approached differently when it comes to Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS).

Helen explains the neuroscience behind music and its effects on the brain and nervous system, and Sue dives deep on the topic of somatisation, and how advancements in neuroscience are progressing our understanding of functional brain networks and predictive processing.

Finally, we discuss how music (and other forms of creative and artistic practice) can influence and inspire — and we share a beautiful ekphrastic poem to leave you lingering on the transformative power of art and storytelling.

For further details on this episode, and some fascinating / nerdy research on the neuroscience of music, check out the Show Notes on our website.

New to this series? With topics ranging from navigating neurodivergence and brain preservation to chronic pain and speech pathology, narrative medicine, psychiatry and philosophy, why not go back to #1 ‘Synergy’ and explore them all?

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

In this episode, Caitlin speaks with Jonny Hanson about his book Living With Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears. They discuss the challenges of craft, of moving between writing styles and telling impactful stories that delve deep into the complicated human elements of large carnivore conservation.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.

Welcome to the Science Write Now podcast! This week we chat with palaeontologist and award-winning STEM educator Dr Kaylene Cooper about her passion for science communication and the work she does with the team at Wonder of Science. Plus, we dig into the fascinating world of fossils and "Fangaroos", aka prehistoric kangaroos!

In this episode, Kaylene shares what sparked her passion and curiosity for science, and in particular, palaeontology: the study of prehistoric life forms (fossils) preserved in rocks and ancient sediments, and the evolution of life on Earth.

So, what led Kaylene as a PhD student to study Riversleigh, a region west of Mount Isa in North Queensland, and what exactly is a "Fangaroo"? You'll have to listen to find out!

Kaylene also speaks about transitioning from being a scientist in the field to a STEM educator and the leader of The University of Queensland's Wonder of Science program. She gives an insight into how STEM educators collaborate with scientists, schools and science-based organisations, including the innovative "Flying Scientists" program. Kaylene shares her best tips for those navigating a career between science and the arts (why not both?) and what she's most excited about in the wonderous world of science at the moment.

Outside of her work, Kaylene has a very niche, very cool creative outlet involving fossils and 3-D modelling. She speaks to the artistic merits of the design process, the scientific method and how art and science can mesh together to create some truly awe-inspiring and practical solutions when it comes to palaeontology.

Full show notes: further links and resources are available on the SWN website.

Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!

If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide.

Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!

We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!

We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.